LATEST NEWS
2024 There have been three conferences this year where CaraMayan has been taught. The first was in Tasmania at Faith and the Arts in January. The second was in Christchurch, New Zealand, at their first national conference for many years during Easter with teachers from Australia, New Zealand and USA. The third was at Toowoomba, Queensland, for ICDF Australia.
2023 USBs are now also available at the shop. Mary taught in New Zealand for a month for ICDFANZ and they have requested the USBs as being more suitable for many of their members. If you would be interested in more details of the trip please email asking for the Prayer Letter.
2022 People have been requesting to be able to access the meditations online rather than by DVD as many people no longer have a DVD player. We are very happy to announce that all videos are now available via You Tube and links can be bought in the shop. E-[books are now available free as part of the Links package. Music can now be downloaded through the shop.
We hope to have a new title Radiance available early in 2023.
2021 Some classes are still going and some have been online in this continued time of COVID. It has been good to continue regular exercise with the meditations at home – it is helpful that they don’t take much space!
NEW CD – we are continuing to work on Radiance due for release next year and are still looking for a way to put the meditations in digital form so you can download them. Any suggestions welcome!
CONGRATULATIONS!! It is good to be able to congratulate two new teachers who have completed their certification despite the challenges of the virus. Sue Sutherland lives in Lancashire, England, and Saartjie de Wet who is also one of the Coordinators of the International Christian Dance Fellowship lives in a difficult to pronounce town in South Africa. You will find out more about them on the Teachers section of the website.
2020
The Year of the Coronovirus!! And for Australia it has also been the year of the worst bushfires in living memory. The self isolation required makes it an excellent time to get your exercise and stimulate worship, prayer and scripture through doing CM. Make it a part of your daily schedule. Send us a description of how you are using or enjoying CM and we will include it in the next CM newsletter.
2019
CLASSES IN SYDNEY
Saturdays Sept 7, 20, Oct. 5, 19 at Mosman. Enquiries and booking Mary Jones 9960 1510 or maryjones11@aol.com
For our main meditation we will be learning Psalm 84 – A Place of Springs and a pilgrimage psalm to celebrate Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles which happens on the last week of our classes.
NEWSLETTERS – March,June and November newsletters are available under Resources. These include news of classes in Sydney, Chicago and Hamilton.
CARAMAYAN at the ICDF DANCE AND CULTURAL TOUR held this May in Kanyakamari, India. A good number signed up for 2 workshops and a day long training session taught by Mary Jones.
On the way back home Mary stopped in Singapore and taught a workshop at Barker St Methodist church.
WEEK-END OF CARAMAYAN AND PRAYER FOR THE NATION – April 12-14 at Canberra House of Prayer, Australia. Details from Mary Jones at caramayan@gmail.com or 0404 147 125.
SHARON EREAUX is the ICDF Network Coordinator for Fitness, Well Being and Movement Meditation. The newsletter is available from Sharon sharon.ereaux@gmail.com. She often shares CaraMayan with a monthly creative worship group The New Thing pictured below.
TRIP TO NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA
Mary Jones was teaching some CaraMayan at Riyala centre near Darwin in March at a Yolgnu dance week-end with people from Elcho Island.
PRODUCT RECALL – We found that the last meditation on Living the Walk had an editing error. If you have bought this product please return the disc (not the case) and a new disc will be mailed out to you.
FIRST CERTIFIED CARAMAYAN TEACHERS in New Zealand and the USA – Dr Debbie Bright lives in Hamilton, New Zealand, and has taught and choreographed in many different styles and situations. She started teaching CaraMayan some more senior ladies in her church.
Jessica Guthrie lives in Chicago, USA, and is a Fitness instructor. She is looking forward to also teaching CaraMayan since graduating in January. You can find out more about her on the Teachers’ page.
2018
- Living the Walk DVD/CD has just been released. It features meditations on Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…Self Control (the rest of the Fruits of the Spirit) and was filmed in Central Australia at Uluru, a Sydney beach and the Blue Mountains.
- Mary Jones and Sharon Ereaux taught at a CDF conference in New Zealand in July and will teach at the International CDF Dance and Culture tour in India next May. www.icdf.com
- Classes continue in Sydney. A Christmas workshop is being offered in Sydney on December 15.
- Teachers’ Training Course Teachers in New Zealand, South Africa and USA are taking the course at the moment.
- The contents of the DVDs/CDs. The scriptures and timing for each meditation can now be found if you click on the picture of each DVD on the Products page.
2017
- Teachers’ week In January a week for certified teachers was held in Sydney to go through the material in the new DVD/CD Be Bold you are Loved which was mostly filmed in Central Australia.
- Congratulations Clare! Claire Blamey has finished her training and is now a certified teacher. She had a successful workshop at her church and is planning to start a class soon.
- Mary Jones is teaching weekly 2 hour classes on alternate Fridays and Saturdays in Mosman, Sydney.
- New DVD The filming for the new DVD/CD Living the Walk is nearly featured and will feature meditations on the Fruits of the Spirit set against the Blue Mountains outside Sydney.
2016
Mary Jones will teach 3 workshop classes on Saturdays Oct 29, Nov 19, Dec 10 in Mosman, Sydney, Australia. 10.00 – 12.30. Classes will include CM meditations, Exercise Session and Selah Sequence, circle dance and Harmonics, sharing and prayer. Enquiries and bookings maryjones11@aol.com
The ICDF International Conference in Ghana saw both Mary Jones and Sharon Ereuax teaching. The new CaraMayan DVD was launched “Be Strong you are Loved” and participants learned and shared Psalm 18 “The Lord is my Rock”. Other meditations included on the DVD/CD are Ps 90 – Our Dwelling Place, Your Love, Songs of Women Warriors, and Eph 6 – The Armour of God. Many of the meditations were filmed at Central Australia’s huge rock, the largest monolith in the world, called by the indigenous name of Uluru
Sharon Ereaux will be teaching a CaraMayan workshop at E3 Sydney Women’s Weekend Conference, 11th – 13th March 2016 at Stanwell Tops. She writes: “It’s a lovely weekend with ladies from all over NSW. The theme for the conference is ‘Eagles on L Plates’ considering how we might “soar on wings as eagles”. My CaraMayan workshop will be a time to reflect on how our Lord provides a place of refuge for us. Though in some seasons of our life, we soar, at other times, we need to know that we can shelter under the shadow of His mighty wings. We’ll learn the ‘Under Your Wings’ movement meditation and take time to stretch, relax and be still, resting in Him, our refuge. It will be on the Saturday afternoon at E3.” Details and registration here: http://members.optusnet.com.au/cwci-e3/index.html
During the Easter school holidays Sharon plans to be in New Zealand to teach and in July at the ICDF conference in Ghana. She is also planning to start local classes early next year.
For news:
2015
Mary Jones taught Dance in David’s Tabernacle and CaraMayan at the Cairns conference (Queensland). In October she was in at Byron Bay and the Gold Coast . The day CaraMayan workshop was both for a group that has been meeting every two weeks since the last workshop 18 months ago and for others who were interested. Some of the participants went down to the beach afterwards and appreciated the experience of doing it outdoors and as an intercession.
Psalm 24
Amos 9:11 Tabernacle of David Conference in Cairns 11-14 Sept. www.reconciliationandpeace.org
June
A new CM DVD is on the way – it will be ready in 2016
Mary Jones – “In June we did some filming in Uluru in the centre of Australia”
At Uluru, Central Australia
April – May
Mary Jones taught A New Thing and The Lord is my Shepherd to all the participants at the national CDF Ireland conference in Newry, Northern Ireland, in April. “I was thinking of St Patrick starting his life in Ireland as a slave minding sheep”, she explained, “and the new thing they have taken on by joining with CDF Ghana in organising the next international CDF conference there next year.”
After the conference during some exploration of the St Patrick’s trail she and two others from the conference did some intercession at the huge statue of St Patrick that looks out over the Eastern coast, moving out A New Thing as part of it.
St Patrick’s statue, Ireland
St Patrick’s statue, Ireland
At the week-end she taught The Lord’s Prayer, Crossroads and Gaelic Blessing at a workshop in Northumberland, England, arranged by Andy Raine. prayformed Crossroads in the afternoon looking out towards Holy Island from the causeway and then walked to St. Cuthbert’s cave where they moved out The Lord’s Prayer.
Looking out to Holy Island, England
Looking out to Holy Island, England
Sharon Ereaux “In March 2015. I taught a CaraMayan workshop in Oxford, NZ for a small group and a man. All enjoyed the workshop and loved moving through ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ meditation as well as learning some Harmonics dance to a beautiful worship song called ‘The River’ which reminds us that “there’s a river that flows, from the fountain of God and it heals everything along the way… there is healing in Jesus’ name.”
2014
From Sharon Ereaux – Black Stump Festival report October long week-end – Sydney, Australia
CaraMayan was fabulous at Black Stump Festival. I taught the ‘Under Your Wings’ meditation over three mornings. It was beautiful to move to the Word of God in the wide open spaces of creation, under the trees and the sky. Starting the meditation we raised our hands and looked up, declaring “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens; Your faithfulness to the skies.” The flowing movements, gentle stretches and deep breaths were a blessing at the start of a big festival day.
SEPTEMBER TOUR – Mary Jones
Workshops were held in California USA, Canada and Ireland. The photo here is of the workshop in Dublin, Ireland, organised by the Christian Dance Fellowship of Ireland.
Feedback from Canada
“Spiritually uplifting. A great way to praise the Lord and good for the body as a bonus.”
“I have neck and back stiffness and I found that the CM movements stretched muscles and joints that were tight and strengthened areas that were weak. Your music was both uplifting and relaxing and the repetition of the movements helped me to learn each step.”
“The imagery and prayerfulness of the movements helped me get more in touch with my inner being as well as define the qualities and positions of the movements.”
“ I have recently given birth CaraMayan will be a helpful way to build up my physical strength again, plus find a few peaceful moments with the Lord during this busy newborn phase!”
Feedback from Ireland
“I felt I learned new vocabulary for my movement worship.”
“The slow movements help me slow down and meditate on the Word. CaraMayan is a great combination of meditation, exercise and expression of God in one’s life.”
“I felt the presence of the Lord during the day. Doing the movements and exercise enabled me to come into the presence of the Lord. It seemed as if the actions facilitated an atmosphere which the Lord could inhabit”.
“It was amazing to be able to worship God through movement and express our love for Him.”
“It was good to realise that worshipping God involves body, soul and spirit. They all need to be in harmony.”
“I really loved moving to scripture and found it meaningful to repeat the movements.”
From Sharon West – Sydney, Australia ADAPTING CM FOR SEATED PARTICIPANTS
At the request of two women from my church who have health problems, I h
ave adapted “Live” “Warm-Up” and “The Lord’s Prayer” to be done while seated. This is a regular ministry of our church , Macquarie Chapel Presbyterian Church, Eastwood, (Sydney) and have had from two to twelve participants each week. It has enabled me to get to know a number of members of our early service which has been lovely.
I plan to add some props such as rolling the ball of the foot over a golf ball, for metatarsal stretch, during “warm-up” foot extensions; also placing a 20cm length of foam roller (cut from a cheap pool noodle) u
nder the thigh, fo rknee turn-out repetitive movements. Holding silk scarves for “Live” arm movements will add another strength dimension also. This will add a bit of colour and novelty to the classes. We finish the class standing behind the chair and holding for support while stretching our hamstrings and hip flexors.
MARCH WORKSHOPS IN NORTHERN NSW AUSTRALIA – Mary Jones
The conference I attended in Cairns had many participants from pacific islands around Australia and from Papua New Guinea. I held an impromptu CaraMayan workshop for people who had expressed interest.
At the Cairns conference with workshop participant.
On the way back I stopped to see friends at Byron Bay and surroundings. Byron Bay has a large alternative population and several communities that have lasted from the 70s. The women at the workshop I held at Eastgate, one of the churches there, have continued meeting to practice the meditations. One of them writes: “Everyone remarks on how they feel both spiritually and physically uplifted after doing the mediations.”
SYDNEY
- Congratulations Sharon!
Sharon Ereaux has now completed her CaraMayan certification and will be teaching the class at Balgowlah while Mary is away. To see more information about Sharon go to the Teachers’ link.Mary will be travelling in September and will be teaching CaraMayan in USA, Canada, and Ireland and will also be looking for teachers for CaraMayan
Classes will start again in mid Feb at Balgowlah, Sydney, with Mary Jones
APRIL
At Dance Spot – Christian Dance Fellowship of Australia and Uniting Church
JANUARY Mary Jones taught a workshop in January at the Livingdance seminar attended by Livingdance teachers from Australia, New Zealand and Israel .
2013
| Dubai workshop | England – workshop in Shrewsbury for CDFB |
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| Some workshop participants |
ISRAEL – Jerusalem House of Prayer for all Nations Convocation
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| The cat liked my class notice | Our classes looked out over Bethlehem |
BRAZIL
Radio interview at Christian station in Sao Paulo. My translator Thais Menezes on right.
Conferencia Praise Internacional de Danca Crista attended by 350 from different churches and headed by Bp John Bassi. I was speaking and teaching CaraMayan
Group of participants – John and Carol Bassi and myself in centre
New teacher certified Congratulations to Sharon West who has recently completed her certification as a teacher in Sydney, Australia.
2011 – 2012
GERMANY
Workshop with Iris Behnke ICDF Country Rep in Munich
ITALY
with ICDF CR Alessandra Bedin
SOUTH AFRICA
Recent workshops in England and South Africa The Christian Dance Fellowships of Britain and South Africa held workshops for CaraMayan taught by Mary Jones in May/June. This tour was combined with the ICDF Pentecost/Shavuot Prayer Watch event in Israel. While in Israel two of the Psalms for the new DVD were filmed.
ISRAEL FILMING
